Dr. Veera urged the Ministry of Public Health to explain how the accumulated off-budget funds are managed and where they are kept. He warned all agencies that the 2028 budget will be very tough because Thailand is now deeply in budget deficit.
On 13 August 2026 at 13:02, at the Parliament Building during the special committee meeting to consider the 2027 fiscal year budget bill, Mr. Veera Thirapathranon, a committee member, spoke about the Ministry of Public Health's budget. For 2027, the ministry requested 181.478 billion baht, with off-budget funds amounting to 1.141 billion baht, totaling 182.619 billion baht. He expressed concern over off-budget spending, noting that leftover off-budget funds were 36.694 billion baht in 2025, 44.134 billion baht in 2026, and 52.349 billion baht in 2027. He questioned why, despite having such leftover funds, the ministry still allocated 1.141 billion baht in off-budget funds for 2027, requesting clarification on whether any contingency was planned.
Mr. Veera also said he would like to request that the 2028 budget be prepared with even greater difficulty in mind. Considering Thailand's public debt ceiling, he believes the country’s credit rating will not decline. He urged the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry to reduce expenditures if there are remaining accumulated off-budget revenues in 2028 and to use those off-budget funds more extensively to supplement the budget.
"It's like having debt but also having a lot of deposits that aren't being used. I leave this for consideration because I don't know if the funds will be available next year or if they might come again," Mr. Veera said.
Mr. Veera further stated that Thailand’s budget deficit has become critical. Adjustments are necessary because the current situation is unsustainable. Without cooperation, preparing the 2028 budget will be extremely difficult. He also wants to know how the accumulated off-budget funds are managed and where they are kept. These off-budget funds are required to be held in the Treasury, which pays no interest, despite the fact that all agencies have about 150 billion baht in Thai banks. He called for collective effort on this issue.